Back To Square One

“We should stop listening Indian music as Indians are buying dead bodies from us as cost of it”, it was a recent facebook wall post by one of my friends in facebook friend’s list. Many people commented that they are “agreed” with this provoking annotation.
I believe “To be agreed” is just a hollow statement without any semblance of acceptance.

Most of us will agree with it but we will not stop listening Indian music. But why do only Indian music? Why not Western music? As America has pushed Pakistan near the hole of “National disgrace”; is challenging our sovereignty with drone attacks and conditional financial aids like Kerry-Lugar Bill and flaming the whole country in her own burnt fire of “war against terrorism”. And also why not music itself?

Should not we ban music of any kind, of any type, of any nationality and of any symbolism in the “Islamic Republic of Pakistan”? But before it the whole nation needs to define what actually they want – An Islamic regimented state or a secular democracy? Pakistan could be carved on the map of the world with bloodily sacrifices of Muslims of subcontinent. These sacrifices breed on the foundation of “Two Nations Theory”. But still, after 63 years of independence, a large number of intellectuals don’t believe that “Pakistan’s Ideology” is “Islamic Ideology”. They want Jinnah’s Pakistan back. They believe that Quaid e Azam visualized Pakistan a religiously tolerant, liberal and moderate Islamic State but not a theocracy. On the other hand, a large portion of people always tried and wanted to introduce Islamic radicalism in the country. Zia’s tyranny is a worst example of using religion as a tool to prolong illegitimate regime and persecuting different religious and ethnic communities. Also Talibanization – the most dreadful stigma catapulting the state into spirals of violence – has seminal part of its history in the same era of exploited Islamic radicalism.

We don’t have a clear desire. We are still confused.

For the time being, if we don’t desecrate the sanctity of “Two Nations Theory” and accept the supremacy of Islam in the state’s affairs and people’s morals then can we get any space for music in our society? Will not we find strict verdicts (fattawa) against music in the pages of jurisprudence? This strict prohibition against music will be vexatious for culture-promoters who’s conviction is that “religion” and “culture” are two independent or, in more careful language, two different parameters defining and establishing a nation’s identity.

Will we let music to take niche in our society in the name of culture? If this group succeeds in proving music as a “cultural aspect” and making its niche in the lives of people then a rudimentary question originates – Is culture restricted by the geographical boundaries? History provides answer to this question. India and Pakistan have a long shared history so a common culture. Then why prohibition is only on music? Why not on other cultural activities, relics, morals and aspects? We are miring ourselves in another quagmire. Or might be we are back to square one.

I think, listening Indian music is not the stigma we are facing. Also, banning Indian music is not the solution to wide-band problems Pakistan is facing in the form of weak futile democracy; power-hungry and maverick military; venal, mean and numb politicians; corrupt and selfish bureaucracy; militancy and extremism; suicide attacks and throes of violence across the country; insurgency in Baluchistan; Talibanization in the southern Punjab and a lot of others…

There are other things which are yet to be explored and/or yet to be endorsed.

Faults do lie in us. Its high time kept our house in order and stop just verbosely blaming enemy for her enmity and atrocity.